The Rev. Canon John L. Peterson was welcomed as the new secretary general of the Anglican Communion in a recent service at Lambeth Palace, London.

A large congregation of Anglicans from England, the United States, Scotland and Ireland was present at Evensong in the historic chapel. The Most Rev. George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury, greeted Canon Peterson, who was formerly dean of St. George's College, Jerusalem.

"The Communion you are going to serve is a suffering Communion," Archbishop Carey said. "In a way, it is curiously similar to the diocese you have been part of for a number of years, for the Diocese of Jerusalem has had more than its share of suffering. Our Communion includes the suffering Province of the Sudan, the tortured Province of Rwanda, and many other poor, broken and even persecuted places. Yet God has his way of surprising us, because these very places of torment and agony are the very places where exciting growth is taking place and where God is at work."

Canon Peterson succeeds the Rev. Canon Samuel Van Culin, who had served as secretary general for the past 12 years. The secretary general is responsible for the meetings of the Anglican Consultative Council, the primates of the Anglican Communion and the Lambeth Conference. He also heads the London-based secretariat at Partnership House.

"Today marks a new beginning for me and my family, a new year for us all, and, God willing and God's people responding' a new commitment for the people of our Communion to be lights in this world, and dare I say, Anglican lights," Canon Peterson said on his first day at the secretariat. "I firmly believe we as a church have so much to offer the world in Jesus' name."

On the Feast of the Epiphany, Canon Peterson joined the Most Rev. Samir Kafity, primate of the Church of Jerusalem, at a Eucharist at St. Paul's Church, Covent Garden, marking the primate's 12th anniversary of enthronement.